Collapsible canopy for pickup trucks

Abstract

A collapsible canopy for vehicles having cargo beds and for pickup trucks, in particular. The canopy includes a pair of channel members suitable for mounting on the top side walls of a pickup box; slide members mounted within each channel member; a plurality of arch-shaped rigid stays, extending across the box and mounted adjacent and parallel with one another from the front toward the rear of the box, each stay affixed to respective slide members for reciprocal movement therewith; a flexible canopy cover engaging the stays; and latches for holding the stays in a spaced apart, extended mode so that the cover extends over the box. Elastic bands engaging the cover in parallel relationship between adjacent rigid stays draw the rigid stays together when the latch is released so as to collapse the cover for storage adjacent the back of the pickup cab.

I claim: 
     
       1. A collapsible canopy for a vehicle with cargo bed comprising: elongated guide means positioned along each side of the cargo bed;   a plurality of slide members mounted within said guide means for reciprocal movement therein;   a plurality of rigid canopy stays; each of said stays substantially arch-shaped in construction having a pair of laterally spaced and upright leg members and a transverse member supported by said legs; each of said leg members attached to a respective slide for reciprocal movement along said guide means;   a flexible fabric cover engaging said rigid stays to define an arch-like covering for the bed when in the extended canopy mode;   a plurality of elastic bands, each of said elastic bands engaging said fabric cover between and in parallel relationship with said rigid stays for drawing said rigid stays into close apposition with one another in the collapsed canopy mode and to maintain a taut cover in the extended canopy mode; and   latch means for holding said rigid stays in a spaced, front to rear relationship, when in the extended canopy mode.   
     
     
       2. The canopy as described in claim 1 wherein said guide means include a pair of elongated channel members, each of said channel members affixable to said vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The canopy as described in claim 1 further comprising a front end wall affixed to said cover. 
     
     
       4. The canopy as described in claim 1 further comprising a rear end wall affixed to said cover. 
     
     
       5. The canopy as described in claim 4 wherein said rear end wall includes entrance and exit means. 
     
     
       6. The canopy as described in claim 1 wherein said latch means includes a latch operable to hold the forwardmost rigid stay in close apposition to the front of the vehicle bed and a latch operable to hold the rearwardmost rigid stay in close approximation to the rear of the vehicle bed. 
     
     
       7. The canopy as described in claim 1 further comprising a rigid deflection member attached to the vehicle for deflecting air from said canopy during movement of the vehicle. 
     
     
       8. The canopy described in claim 7 wherein said deflection member is mounted on the forwardmost rigid stay of said canopy. 
     
     
       9. A collapsible canopy for a pickup truck having an open box, and having a horizontal bed, opposing side walls and a front wall, said canopy comprising: a pair of elongated channel members, each of said channel members affixable to said vehicle in a laterally spaced, parallel, relationship with one another on respective side walls;   a plurality of slide members disposed within each of said channel members for reciprocal movement within and along the length of said channel members;   a stationary rigid stay affixed to said box adjacent the front wall of said box;   a plurality of movable rigid canopy stays, each of said movable stays substantially arch-shaped in configuration and each of said movable stays mounted in an upright position on respective opposed slide members for movement along said channel members;   a flexible fabric cover engaging said rigid stays;   a plurality of elastic bands, each of said elastic bands engaging said fabric cover between and in parallel relationship with said rigid stays for drawings said rigid stays into close apposition with one another in the collapsed canopy mode and to maintain a taut cover in the extended canopy mode; and   latch means for holding said rigid stays in a spaced apart, extended mode for placement of said cover over the cargo bed.   
     
     
       10. The canopy as described in claim 9 further comprising a front end wall affixed to said cover. 
     
     
       11. The canopy as described in claim 9 further comprising a rear end wall affixed to said cover. 
     
     
       12. The canopy as described in claim 11 wherein said rear end wall is provided with an extension member to extend said rear wall to the bed of the pickup truck. 
     
     
       13. The canopy as described in claim 12 further comprising extension member attachment means for attaching said extension member to the box of the pickup truck. 
     
     
       14. The canopy as described in claim 11 wherein said rear wall defines a closeable opening for entering and exiting the canopy. 
     
     
       15. The canopy as described in claim 9 further comprising a wind deflector mounted on the pickup truck forward of said cover. 
     
     
       16. A collapsible canopy for a pickup truck having an open box, and having a horizontal bed, opposing side walls and a front wall, said canopy comprising: a pair of elongated channel members, each of said channel members affixable to said vehicle in a laterally spaced, parallel, relationship with one another on respective side walls;   a plurality of slide members disposed within each of said channel members for reciprocal movement within and along the length of said channel members;   a stationary rigid stay affixed to said box adjacent the front wall of said box;   a plurality of movable rigid canopy stays, each of said movable stays substantially arch-shaped in configuration and each of said movable stays mounted in an upright position on respective opposed slide members for movement along said channel members;   a flexible fabric cover engaging said rigid stays;   a plurality of elastic stays bands, each of said elastic stays bands affixed to said fabric cover between and in parallel relationship with said rigid stays for drawings said rigid stays into close apposition with one another in the collapsed canopy mode and to maintain a taut cover in the extended canopy mode;   a front wall affixed to said cover for enclosing the front end of said cover;   a rear wall affixed to said cover for enclosing the rear end of said cover; and   latch means for holding said rigid stays in a spaced apart, extended mode for placement of said cover over the cargo bed.